For us to build it, run it, and use it ; It is important to understand the history of sports facilities. How sports facilities have evolved Role sports facilities play in society in general Trends that may be in the future
In short, Winston Churchill's quote regarding the bombed House of Commons: "We shape our buildings. And afterwards, our buildings shape us. Our sports facilities are iconic and a fabric of or society.
What do you think is the oldest sport facility in existence? Does your answer depend on your definition of what constitutes a sport facility? What do you think is the most important sport facility of all time, and why? What do you think would have been the biggest challenges associated with running that facility? Did you evaluate - Is seating required? Do you need a playing surface? What if the facility is only sometimes used for sports?
Sports and Recreation facilities have been in human society for as long as there have been recorded history. Sports facilities served varied purposes: contest between cities/tribes (i.e. Olympics), religious events, political purposes (roman coliseum), train warriors, hone skills, and economic benefits. One of the earliest uses was to placate the populace or provide social entertainment. The Olympics started off as a form of worship to the Greek Gods (Olympics derived from Olympus).
We see examples in Art Athletics & Gymnastics Chinese Painting Bull Fighting Crete Painting Backgammon Contest Sumerian Pottery Olympic Sports Greek Pottery
Facilities in Ancient Times First Olympic Stadium built in 776 B.C. was initially a temple; later expanded to include an altar, training facility, gymnasium, covered running track, and the famous Stadia. The Olympic Stadium in Athens was built in 331 B.C. and held 50,000 spectators. It was used to host the 1896 Olympic Games. The Greeks built hippodromes (horse racing tracks) and theaters.
The stadium was built in 329 BC from the orator and governor Lykourgos to host the sports contests of Panathinaea, the biggest celebration of Athens in honor of Goddess Athena. In mid 2nd century BC Herodes Atticus covers the stadium with marble. In 1894-96 the stadium is covered in marble once more with the grant of Georgios Averof and designs of Anastasios Metaxas. The stadium is inaugurated in 1896 with the first contemporary Olympic Games. Source: http://www.greek-islands.us/athens/panathenaic-stadium/
Facilities in Ancient Times: Greece The Ancient Greek and Romans were masters of the multi-use facilities. Analogous to our stadia of today. These formed some of the first known Sports Complexes. So this is nothing new for us.
Facilities in Ancient Times: Rome Coliseum The Flavian Amphitheater is usually known as the Coliseum either because of its huge size or because a colossal statue in gilded bronze of Nero in the guise of the Sun God originally stood nearby. Started by Vespasian in 72 A.D.; inaugurated in 80 A.D. by Titus with 100 days of celebrations, during which several thousand wild beasts and gladiators were reputedly killed. The amphitheater was completed by the emperor Domitian.
Roman Coliseum
Facilities in Ancient Times: Rome Circus Maximus A track used primarily for horse racing, although it was used on occasion for hunts or mock battles. Built in the 6th century B.C., the facility could seat 300,000 fans. The facility was twice destroyed by fire and on at least two occasions the stands collapsed, killing many people.
Facilities in Ancient Times: Rome Circus Maximus (contunued) There was a long barrier (spina) that ran down the middle of the track. In addition to obelisks, fountains, statues, and columns, there were two temples on the spina, one with seven large eggs and one with seven dolphins. At the end of each lap of the seven-lap race, one egg and one dolphin would be removed from each temple to keep the spectators and the racers updated on how many laps had been completed.
Facilities in Ancient Times: Rome Circus Maximus A track used primarily for horse racing, although it was used on occasion for hunts or mock battles. Built in the 6th century B.C., the facility could seat 300,000 fans. The facility was twice destroyed by fire and on at least two occasions the stands collapsed, killing many people.
Circus Maximus
Romans also built hippodromes, like this one in Caesarea, Israel, built in 25 B.C.
The Greeks and Romans are not the only civilizations with complexes in antiquity Others include Boxing contests in Sumerian (800 BC) A crude form of football (soccer) was played in China (tsu chu) around the second century BC. In 600 BC the first recorded polo match between Turkomans and Persians. It is won by the Turkomans. Bull Fighting on the Isle of Crete around 400 BC Lacrosse was documented for the first in time 1690, though it may have originated over 1500 years earlier. Jousting in medieval times Golf and cricket start in the 12 th Century AD.
Controlling and moving large numbers of people Managing rowdy or violent crowds Maintaining flexibility in multiuse venues (gladiators and mock naval battles; basketball and ice shows) Providing security and protection for VIPs Controlling the types of petty crime inherent with large gatherings of people Keeping facilities clean and operational
Providing amenities for the press (interview rooms and press boxes with Internet access) Setting up TV camera platforms and TV cable hookups Selling advertising space and naming rights Using heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems Costs
In the early 1900s college stadiums started being built across the United States. Professional stadiums were being built around the same time, but the early versions were made of wood and later versions were made of steel and concrete. What do you think has fueled the phenomenal growth of new and renovated facilities since the 1980s? Do you think this growth will continue in the near future or is the building boom over?
CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES FOR 2008-2013 174 colleges and universities are currently involved in 219 facility construction, expansion, and/or renovation projects. These campuses have a combined enrollment of 2.5 million students. The facilities represented in this report are expected to serve 1.87 million students each year. Almost $ 4 Billion Dollars in NIRSA-Member CAPITAL PROJECTS are underway $3.96 billion in projects ($3,967,554,422) include new construction, renovations, and expansions. The average project expenditure is $20.7 million. The average project expenditure increased $1.3 million from 2006. Source: NIRSA Collegiate Recreational Sports Facility Construction Survey, 2004
The Olympic Games involve significant costs from lobbying efforts to construction of the actual facilities. Sydney spent $3.3 billion to build facilities for the Olympics. Athens spent over $11.6 billion. The estimates for Beijing were around $42 billion when all the infrastructure costs were included (roads, satellite cities) as well as building or renovating 31 facilities. How much should England spend to host the 2012 Games?
Technology Construction processes and procedures Broadcasting needs More interactive activities What other trends can you propose?
Top 10 in total attendance League Sport Country Major League Baseball Baseball United States and Canada Average attendance Total attendance 30,338 73,402,524 NPB Baseball Japan 25,926 22,399,679 NBA NHL Basketball Ice hockey United States and Canada United States and Canada 17,520 21,549,238 17,460 21,475,223 NFL American football United States 68,240 17,469,552 Premier League Association football England 35,600 13,527,815 Bundesliga Association football Germany 42,565 13,024,890 La Liga Association football Spain 29,124 11,067,120 Championship Association football England 18,106 9,907,848 Serie A Association football Italy 25,304 9,615,546 Ligue 1 Association football France 24,050 8,103,585
Top 10 in average attendance League Sport Country National Football League # of Teams Games Total attendance Average attendance American football United States 32 256 17,469,552 68,240 Indian Premier League Cricket (Twenty20) India 8 59 3,422,000 58,000 Bundesliga Association football Germany 18 306 13,024,890 42,565 Australian Football League Australian rules football Australia 16 185 7,084,759 38,295 Premier League Association football England 20 380 13,676,390 36,076 Major League Baseball Canadian Football League Baseball United States /Canada 30 2,416 78,614,880 32,539 Canadian Football Canada 8 72 2,100,016 29,206 La Liga Association football Spain 20 380 11,067,120 29,124 NPB Baseball Japan 12 846 21,638,197 25,044
Sport facilities have evolved over the years and will continue to evolve as new technologies are developed and new revenue streams are developed. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?p age=caple/080919/venues/2-5